Bayhealth pioneers gallbladder surgery

Rahul Singh, MD, and Wendy Newell, MD, of Wolf Creek Surgeons, recently performed Delaware’s first single-site gallbladder removal using the da Vinci robotic surgery system at Kent General Hospital, in Dover.

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By Staff Reports

Dover Post

By Staff Reports

Posted Jan. 22, 2013 at 1:26 PM
Updated Jan 22, 2013 at 1:29 PM

By Staff Reports

Posted Jan. 22, 2013 at 1:26 PM
Updated Jan 22, 2013 at 1:29 PM

Dover, Del.

Rahul Singh, MD, and Wendy Newell, MD, of Wolf Creek Surgeons, recently performed Delaware’s first single-site gallbladder removal using the da Vinci robotic surgery system at Kent General Hospital, in Dover. The patient’s gallbladder was removed through an incision approximately one inch in size, at his belly button.

Traditional gallbladder surgery is typically done through four small incisions in the abdominal region. With single-site, surgeons make only one incision, offering faster healing and less pain for patients. The procedure takes 45 to 50 minutes.

Neither robotic surgery nor single-incision surgery is new, but combining the two to remove the gallbladder allows surgeons to perform the procedure to a wider range of patients. In addition, the da Vinci system provides a 3D view of the patient’s internal organs. This perspective enables meticulous removal of the gallbladder and reduces the risk of damage to nearby organs.

During the surgery, Dr. Singh and Dr. Newell view a 3D high-definition image of the patient’s abdomen. Controls below the console’s screen allow them to manipulate the instrument’s arms and camera inside the patient’s body as if they were their own fingers.

Bayhealth is currently the only facility in Delaware to offer thoracic and colorectal robotic surgeries. Surgeons are credentialed to perform robotic surgeries in various areas of medicine.